US Space Force refuses to rule out attack after Cold War spy satellite explodes in low Earth orbit

From the Newshound archive · first published 1 October 2026.

The USA 32 satellite, codenamed 'Farrah III' during the Cold War, broke apart in low Earth orbit on September 13, creating a massive debris cloud roughly 480 miles above Earth. Space Force confirmed the breakup on September 17 but has revealed no probable cause and refuses to rule out an anti-satellite weapon strike. The military says 'further analysis is ongoing' while alarm grows that the explosion could threaten other satellites sharing the same crowded orbital lane.

USA 32 had been in space since 1988, listening for Soviet radar signals — its mission details were only declassified last year.

Astronomer Dr Tony Phillips warned: 'Other satellites may be in danger — the collision threat is real.'

A meteor strike or space debris collision are among the theories, but no cause has been confirmed.